FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
There are over 5½ square miles of desert turned over as a blank canvas and filled with all manner of incredible art, weird and wonderful people to watch and events and workshops to try … There are far too many to list here but here are some of the stand-out festival sights.
Art Cars
Fancy a ride on a giant mechanical snail? How about a duck or unicorn? Just smile and ask if you can climb on board. “Art cars” are one of the most exciting parts of Burning Man. Hundreds of huge pimped-up vehicles roam the site, lights flashing, picking up strangers and taking them on a journey, often offering free drinks and a sound system. We went on a 3am trip to the loos and ended up dancing on a huge “Dancesaurus” bus and watching the sun come up as hundreds of revellers raised their hands up below. Another memorable art car was the giant polar bear, seemingly populated by dozens of off-duty models all dressed in white.
Characters
Of course, everyone at Burning Man is an individual, but dressing trends and tribes have developed over the years. The place has its own characters and lingo, which you soon pick up thanks to chatting and reading the festival’s daily newspaper. You can spot a “Sparkle pony” by her rainbow dreads, platforms and preening, while you will certainly have the dubious opportunity to see several “shirtcockers”, men who sport a shirt and nothing else. “Yoga bunnies” (often Californian) hang out in the main village, their impossibly toned and tanned bodies silently contorting into ever more impossible shapes.
Art installations
Burning Man attracts a huge number of creative people who are willing to put months of work into temporary installations. Some can really take your breath away: not just because of the talent on show but also the commitment to constructions that will often only exist for a week. We saw everything from pirate ships to huge mechanical hyenas – this year Burners can feast their eyes on a camel train of giant tea pots and play on musical swings. Click here to see the list of ticket sale-supported art installations.
Debauchery
Browsing through the doorstop-thick programme for Burning Man events in individual camps, you could be forgiven for mistaking it for an elaborate joke. Alongside all manner of meditation and yoga there’s spanking classes, orgies, group masturbation and naked foam parties, plus many events to support the tradition of Tutu Tuesday (embraced by both sexes) and the more recent Fishnet Friday. We gave the adult zone a wide berth but still found ourselves in “Ass Stamp Camp”, where free shots are cheerfully dispensed in return for a quick rubber stamp on the behind. That’s the only kind of branding you’ll see at Burning Man.
The Burn
The crescendo of the week is, without doubt, the final Saturday’s Burn. For the duration of the event the Man himself looms over the site, a huge structure which takes a different form every year. Last year he was an alien on a huge wooden spaceship, adding to the already surreal atmosphere. Festival-goers gathered to watch the ceremonial burn as fireworks and flame throwers circled him. Many attendees attach a great deal of meaning to the festival’s climax: it supports the “leave no trace” mantra and has spiritual significance to some. Even as a mere spectacle, it’s absolutely breathtaking and a fitting finale for a strange, immense and unforgettable event.
HOW TO DO IT
What to pack
This is the Nevada desert, so you will need sunscreen, a hat, loose clothing and as much crazy fancy dress as you can cram into your luggage – literally anything goes here, including no dress at all. Nights can be chillier so fake fur coats are a good bet. Take food, gallons of water, and goggles, which at least half the “Burners” wear – you will be glad of them in a dust storm. Think steampunk rather than scuba. Plus lip balm, moisturiser and so on. Many go make-up free by day but glam up at night – face paints for both sexes are common. Battery-operated torches/LED head torches, fairy lights and anything illuminated (although glowsticks are discouraged) are a must for safely getting around at night – with no street lamps and a lot of bicycles, you’ll want to cover your ride and/or yourself. Everyone carries a portable cup and brings plastic bowls/cutlery as nothing is disposable in this leave-no-trace city.
What not to pack
One thing you won’t need when you get to Burning Man is cash. One of the best things about this event is the lack of commercialism: no sponsorship, no branding, no trading stalls and no money changing hands, the one exception being coffee and tea in the central main village. Strangers will offer you alcohol (bring ID, this is America) and, if you are lucky, food. Don’t rely on the latter though. Your mobile phone will be useless to you here, but there is an emergency message board, so make sure your relatives have the details for that, and then … relax.
What to give away
There’s a common myth that Burning Man works on a bartering system. In fact, it’s a “gifting” culture. Last year I was wandering through the desert, wondering why I hadn’t packed anything to drink for the walk, and a nice man in a spacesuit appeared and gave me an ice-cold beer from his space pack. I was also “gifted” jewellery, bottle openers, cups … many specially crafted with the BM logo. One girl read me a cute hippy poem and gave it to me afterwards on a laminated card. Bring what you like, but leave your cynicism at the gate. Burning Man has a way of eradicating it if you don’t.
Getting around
Stop off in Walmart or similar on the way and buy a cheap bike for under $100. Unless you intend to stay very local to your camp (which is a bit boring), this will be essential for getting around the huge site, which is over 5½ square miles in a 97,000-square-mile desert. Decorate it in a unique fashion, and make sure you lock it to prevent drunk revellers from helping themselves, which does happen occasionally. There are numerous charities who will take unused Burning Man bikes after the event, or you may find a friendly local who will make you an offer on the way home.
Choosing a camp
Burning Man is made up of thousands of colourful theme camps with residents who hold parties and give out freebies of their choice. Unless you have already registered with an official camp well in advance with very creative and organised pals, make sure you sign up to your regional Burning Man newsletter and keep an eye out for themed camps looking for residents. Most charge a reasonable fee to cover costs for food and water, and will expect you to pitch in and help out. Alternatively, you can go it alone, but the official camps tend to have better locations and atmosphere. Our RV gang joined a group of Scottish flame-throwers, who tied sheets to our roof and their van, which gave their tents underneath some shade. They threw a great English Garden Party which was well attended by passers-by.
More getting around
The site is based on a supposedly simple navigational system that proves complicated to some, so make sure you study a map before you go, then you might just be able to find that Ashtanga yoga class/couples’ healing workshop/70s disco pants party you’ve spotted in the programme. Most groups of friends have a naturally-appointed leader who has got their head round this – lose them at your peril, but don’t sweat it too much. With the right attitude, strangers will take you in – though lone women should take the usual precautions.
Getting on
You will get much more out of Burning Man if you are open to smiling at and speaking to strangers. With the best will in the world, this can become quite a challenge when you are over-heating, dehydrated and underslept, so try to look after yourself as much as possible and know when you need to take yourself off to a shady corner. The harsh, surreal environment can do funny things to the chirpiest person’s moods, and the best thing to do is to accept it. One minute Burning Man is the best place in the world, the next it can feel like the worst – but the best is always around the corner again.
What to wear on your feet
The desert’s dry ground can play havoc with your feet. Brave sorts wear flip flops and generally obtain what is called “playa foot” (you don’t want to know). Your best bet is to cover your feet completely with trainers and make sure you have several pairs with you. Many people go for basketball boots but I found these took way too long to slip on and off (get your RV too muddy and you can kiss goodbye to your hefty deposit). Your challenge is to make your footwear look cool: Sparkle Ponies (see above) favour customised rainbow-coloured platform knee-high boots, but they do have to walk rather gingerly.
What bands to see
There are no bands! At least, not officially. Big names have been known to drop by for surprise gigs on their own dollar, and there are open-mic sessions in the main village. If you’re the kind of person who goes to a music festival more for the creative arty sideshows, you will be in heaven in Black Rock City, especially when the sun goes down and the weird and wonderful neon-lit constructions start beckoning. Sound systems and DJs are good and plentiful so you will never be short of somewhere to dance, whether it’s on top of a radio tower or in a pop-up chapel made of twigs.
Getting there
Most Burners fly into either Reno or San Francisco and hire an RV for a scenic drive to the event, often with an overnight stop over in Lake Tahoe or, less attractively, a Reno casino hotel. Sleeping in a tent at Burning Man can be even hotter than in a vehicle, so if you can afford the admittedly extortionate rates the RV companies charge, then go for it. They all charge extra for Burning Man – expect to pay over £2,000 for a six person RV. Bear in mind that an RV officially sleeping six may only sleep four in comfort. Avoid using air con and showers, though as Burning Man is a fiercely eco event.
• More survival instructions at survival.burningman.com. This year’s festival takes place from 25 August-1 September; the 2015 festival from 29 August-5 September (burningman.com). Virgin Atlantic flies daily from London Heathrow to San Francisco from £686 including taxes during summer.
